Man converts dilapidated Citroën AX into homemade electric car

Meet Sergei Rusakov, the Minsk resident who has caused a stir in the electric vehicle world by creating his very own battery powered car after reading a few articles on the Internet.

The young Belarusian claims that the general attitude towards electric vehicles is that they are overly complex "imaginary" objects that couldn't possibly be crafted by the average human being.

But in a bold move to dispel this theory, Sergei set about researching numerous articles online about electric vehicles and then decided to convert an ageing Citroën AX into a battery-powered eco machine.

Sergei says the he has no formal training or education and ordered the necessary parts after researching the technology himself online.

Underneath the bonnet of his rusty AX, a large battery pack and controller sits where the engine, radiator and other oily bits would have once resided.

The budding Elon Musk-a-like explains that an electric motor is hidden beneath another panel, which is connected to a "standard four-speed gearbox", while numerous wires and cables are precariously dangled around the old engine bay and inside the vehicle.

Sergei says that the eco AX took him around three months to complete and it was originally created as a "study" exercise.

"It turned out that no special training is necessary," he explains in the video clip.

"You should just take a serious approach toward the issue and everything can be done," he adds.

Story by Leon Poultney

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